More pilgrims leave for Amarnath

Another batch of 1221 pilgrims left Jammu on Wednesday for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

The batch, comprising 264 women and 40 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp early on Wednesday, officials said, adding the devotees left in a fleet of 40 vehicles and were escorted by security personnel.

The pilgrims have crossed Patnitop on the Jammu-Srinagar highway and it was raining at several places making the journey difficult, they said.

As many as 52,661 pilgrims from various parts of the country have left Jammu for the Lord Shiva temple since commencement of the pilgrimage on June 17.